The National tribune., 1887-02-03

cA N4AoNShNSt oht w away WIN cAASNNAo
of the War and Navy Departments. We have
very little use for any of them at the present
moment, but dear experience has taught US
that it is vastly cheaper to maintain them
through the years that we do not need them
than to hastily improyise them when the
need comes.
"TEN YEARS OF SPELLING REFORM"
In the first number of the Photographic
Magazine, very meritorious periodical pub
lished by the Photographic Institute, Cincin-
natl, o., Prof F. A. March, of Lafayette Col
lege, has an admirable article on the history of
Spelling Reform since the first International
Convention, held in Philadelphia Aug. 14-17,
1876. Next to the venerable Prof. Whitney,
Prof March is the first of the many eminent
men Of this country who are earnestly labor
ing to bring about an improvement in our
grossly absurd photography. Of ripest
scholarship, and recognized leader among
the educators of the country he is tower of
strength among those who would relieve the
English-speaking people of the burden of
mastering the senseless intricacies of our
way of spelling.
He is leader of those who are opposed to
the introduction of new alphabet, and who
favor the gradual looping off of the absurdi-
ties, so that the public will become accus-
toned to the improvement by degrees.
These views prevailed with the American
Pathological Association, which urges upon
English-speaking people the observance of
Five Rules" for amending spelling, as fol-
lows:
Omit from the digraf ca when pronounced as
short, "a in he'd, heith, etc.
Omit silent final after short vowel, as in hGv
0iv. etc.
Write I for ph in such words as aIfabei, Idntom,
etc.
When word ends with double letter omit the
last, as in shall, eiif 60, etc.
Change cd final to where it has the sound Of {,
as in tashi iH'pTest, etc
For those who wish to go farther in their
reformation of spelling, there are the
"Twenty-four Rules" which were agreed
upon in 1883 by the American and English
Pathological Associations. These are:
e-Drop silent when foneticaIly useless, as in
lire vineyard. beliere bronze single engine, granite
eaten, rdined etc.
\. 4 r
feather, leather, jealous, etc.
Drop from ca having the sound of a. as in heart,
hedrEsR, etc.
eau.-For beauty uze the old belsty.
eo.-Drop from co having tho sound Of G, as In
jeopardy. leopard.
For yeODIdH write vomaR,
i.-Drop of parliament
o.-For having the sound Of u In but write u n
ADORE (abuvl. dozen (sum), tongue (tung), and
the like.
For tCoBen restore tciraen-
ou.-Drop from on having the sound of u as in
journal, noIrish trouble. rough ruff, tough nuf)
and the like.
u.-Drop silent 70 amer before and in nativ
English words, as guarantee, guard, guess. guest.
guild. guilt. etc.
ue.-Drop final ne In apologize, catalogue, etc. !;
demo9o0ue, pedagogue, etc; league, colleague, hGr-
an0ue. tongue (tunsl. etc.
y.-Spel rhyme rhine.
Dubl consonants may be simpliied:
Final b. d, O. N. III :, as in edo add. egg inn.
pttrr butt, bailif, duh. buzz. etc. mot al hall.
Medal before another consonant as battle, ripple,
trritteH, (writnl, etc.
Initial unaccented prefixes and other unaecented
syllables in abbrsridte, accuse affair etc. currst
ting, trdUeller, etc.
b.-Drop silent In bomb, cruulb debt. doubt,
dumb, lamb limb, numb, plumb, subtle suecuD,5,
thumb.
c.-CLange back to In einder, erpence fierce
hence once pence scarce since, source. thence. tsrcs
lpheHce.
ch-Drop the of eh in eaamon,Re, cholsr. cholera,
BIeldncltoiy, school, stomach.
Change to k in ache (ake), anchor (anker).
d.-Change d and ed final to when so pronounc-
ed, rs in crossed (crost), looked QoOkD etc. unless
the Affects the preceding sounds, as in ehated,
Glanced.
g.-Drop o in Jeign. foreign, sorerei0n.
gh.-Drop In G0hast, btrr0h ghost
Drop Oh in naughty, though 0ho). through THRU.
Change Oh TO T where it has that sound, as in
cough, enough, laughter, tough. etc.
drop in could
p.-Drop p in receipt.
s.-Drop in aisle. demes,le, island.
Change to in distinctly words, as in abuse
verb. house verb, rise verb. etc.
sc.-Drop in scent, seythe (sithe).
tch.-Drop e. as in catch, pitch, lUiteh. etc.
w.-Drop 10 in Uhole.
ph.-Write I for ph. as in philosophy sphere etc.
Articles will appear in the Magazine printed In
these various stages of amended spelling These
changes all in the right direction aud once made
| will never hav to be unmade, they lie in the
| direct way to pure phonetic spelling.
Prof March sums up his history of the
past 10 years as follows, his spelling being
according to the Twenty-four Rules:
In spite of all difficulties. however, the last ten
years hav seen great deal of amended spelling
In the Government circular No. 1880 bibiografy
spelling reform literature is gvn and ID makes
respectabl show. In our Bulletin No. I6 Is glad
| sum reeaptulation of the newspapers and perodi-
calls which had then been printed in il. Even in SC
curt a summary this can not forbear to mention
| the Citiddgo Tribune and the Home Journal "Or
| the second day of September, in the year of ouI
Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy
nine, the great progressiv Representative paper o.
the Northwest apeard in amended spelling thru
| out" The Home Journal of New York the Ameri
can jurnal of society, followd the 18th of Sep
tcnbcr. The Utica Herald should also be mentioud
| Many papers amended u few words to apeaz theii
scolariy consciences The Princeton Rerietc PRINTED
Tho " and altho." the Library Journal catalog
1T IS said lin lssO that more than zoo jurnals ana
periodicals in this cuntry ar innovating more OF
less" Press associations adopted resolutions il